LOCATION FIRCREEK WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, mesic Typic Durudands
TYPICAL PEDON: Fircreek very gravelly medial sandy loam - forestland, on a 44 percent slope with a northerly aspect at an elevation of 640 feet. (When described on August 8, 1990, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves and twigs; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--1 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) very gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 17 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary, common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--17 to 29 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very cobbly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary, common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 19 to 32 inches)
2Bsm--29 to 36 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3), light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; massive; strongly cemented; 30 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
2Cd--36 to 61 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) very gravelly loamy sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Washington, about 1 mile west-southwest of Collins Campground, about 1,150 feet west and 200 feet north of the southeast corner of Section 3, T. 25 N., R. 3 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 40 minutes, 47 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 2 minutes, 23 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry 30 to 45 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section; udic moisture regime. Depth to cemented layer is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the contact with the cemented layer has andic soil properties with an estimated moist bulk density of 0.70 to 0.90 g/cc, phosphate retention of 85 to 100, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 4 percent, 15-bar water retention of 15 to 30 percent for air dried samples, and 35 to 60 percent coarse fragments by volume. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 or 6 moist and 3, 4 or 6 dry. It has 10 to 20 percent organic matter. It has 2 to 12 cmol/kg of aluminum.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 moist and 4, 6, or 8 dry. It is very gravelly medial sandy loam, very cobbly medial sandy loam, or very gravelly medial loam. It has 2 to 10 percent organic matter with less than 7 percent below 12 inches. It has 2 to 4 cmol/kg of aluminum.
The 2Bsm horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist or dry.
The 2Cd horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and 2 or 3 dry. It is very gravelly loamy sand, very cobbly loamy sand, or extremely gravelly loamy sand. It has moist bulk density of 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Govey series. Govey soils have 1 to 2 cmol/kg aluminum in the subsoils (non-alic).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fircreek soils are on glacial valleys. Slopes are 5 to 60 percent. The soils formed in residuum and colluvium over dense glacial till with a cemented layer derived predominantly from marine basalt rocks. Elevations are 200 to 1,700 feet. Average annual precipitation is 65 to 150 inches. Average annual temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free season is 160 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Govey and the Dosewallips, Lenacreek, and Valletta soils. Dosewallips soils are on mountain slopes and are shallow to bedrock. Lenacreek soils are on mountain slopes and are moderately deep to bedrock. Valletta soils are on mountain slopes and are very deep
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately rapid permeability above the cemented layer and very slow permeability below. The subsoil is saturated for over 20 consecutive and 30 cumulative days from November through March.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Western hemlock, Douglas-fir, vine maple, western redcedar, salal, western swordfern, Oregon-grape, red huckleberry, threeleaf foamflower, devil's club, Pacific rhododendron, northern twinflower, and deer fern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Olympic Mountains, Mason and Jefferson Counties, Washington; MLRA 1. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon, a cambic horizon from 7 to 29 inches, andic soil properties from the mineral soil surface to 29 inches, cemented layer from 29 to 36 inches densic material from 36 to 61 inches. The particle-size control section is 1 to 29 inches. The series also meets the saturation requirement for Oxyaquic subgroup and the aluminum requirement for alic subgroup. All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon S89WA-027-002.